Businesses everywhere are facing up to the reality that they are expected to be green. And it makes sense too – not just money-sense alone. The best part is everyone of us can play a role in contributing to lessen the burden our planet has to endure, and it is even more crucial now than anytime else in the history of mankind to make this dramatic change.

The simple ‘green’ steps shown here not only will help the world we live in but also save your office from additional expenses by conserving valuable energy sources. Here are a few environmentally-savvy ideas you can implement right away at your office.

Recycle

This is a given. Make recycling a prime mission in your office, and many forward thinking and eco conscious companies around the world are already doing so. You can recycle more than paper these days. And it is so easy too. The best part is the money collected from the papers you sold can be recycled back into the office or donated to charity.

Reduce paper clutter

Sadly in today’s age and time we have become a society that are amassing more paper clutter than we used to. You don’t really need to print everything – just to read it. If you absolutely need to, then remember to recycle them. Encourage your coworkers to print only the pages they need instead of an entire document and learn to use your scanner. Technology is so advanced nowadays that you can keep digital backups of your online documents. Trying to save a webpage? Print it as a PDF file; this creates a new electronic document that you can save on your desktop instead of in your inbox.

Print with soy

If you absolutely must print, then soy based ink toner cartridges could be a green alternative. With the rising cost of oil it makes financial sense to switch from petroleum based ink toners to something more environmentally friendly. If soy based ink is not available, reduce your impact on the environment by purchasing remanufactured ink and toner cartridges. Stop buying new cartridges to help eliminate waste.

Lower the air-cond thermostat

According to a TIME magazine article, heating, cooling and powering office space are responsible for almost 40% of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. and eat more than 70% of total electricity usage. You can save about 10 % on your electricity bill by just adjusting that thermostat by one or two degrees. Air-conds are among the biggest carbon footprint contributing culprits. Although it is not possible to escape the scorching heat, you can help reduce pollution by turning off the air cond when it isn’t needed.

Switch off lights

If your office allows natural lighting to come in, then you have the opportunity to reduce the usage of many lights during the day. If this is not possible, then remember not to leave the light switched on when no one is in the office, e.g. during lunch. Using light sparingly can also help reduce carbon footprint that you could be contributing to the environment. If you don’t have much choice, then try changing your office light bulbs to LED lighting or other energy saving lighting systems. Your energy bills at end of the month will show the difference.

Install blinds

Using blinds will help prevent heat leakage and minimise sunlight penetrating into the building. You don’t have to install expensive blinds to make it work. Blinds made of bamboo or any other eco-friendly material can help reduce heat from direct sunlight building up heat inside the office which may require higher setting on your air-cond to cool down.

Eliminate vending machine waste

Make sure your office vending machine dispenses recyclable drinking cups or allows you to use your own reusable mug instead of dispensing a plastic cup each time it makes a beverage. It would be ideal if your staff are allowed to make their own beverages. You can also request the machine supplier to de-lamp the machine and reduce the vending machine’s power requirements during periods of inactivity.

Check your computer settings

Computers and related technologies account for 3 – 4% of the world’s carbon emissions. So changing the type of computers your company uses can make a difference. If this is not immediately possible, make sure your computers and printers are set to use less energy or are in energy-saving mode so they will shut off automatically.

Encourage Public transportation

This does not affect your office directly but certainly the people who are working in it. We know the current public transportation is not up to the mark but the government is working hard to change it. Using public transportation allows your staff to save on fuel and the stress of driving. If time permits it allows them to get forty-winks too. Car pool may not always be cool but it certainly helps to reduce traffic, the wear and tear and lots of carbon dioxide emission released onto the environment.

These are simple activities that you can introduce at your office. With some creative imagination it isn’t hard to go green, without spending a fortune. On the contrary, these steps will help your office save money.